


A Rose by any other name

by Cat_Moon



Category: Moonlight (TV)
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 13:46:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19395385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_Moon/pseuds/Cat_Moon
Summary: Beth gets herself out of an awkward situation with Josh, but what do you know, her tried & true diversions don't work on Mick St. John.  AKA: The Case of the Stolen Sweater.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There once was a "that shirt sniff" thread on one of the old forums, during an episode discussion for "12:04". It inspired this story. From 2009.

Beth finished the last of the dinner dishes and hung the dishtowel up to dry. It was part of their usual agreement: if Josh cooked she would wash the dishes, and vice versa. She glanced around the living room, but he wasn’t there. In fact she hadn’t heard a peep from him in several minutes. Had to be a record.

She was just heading for the bedroom when Josh appeared, standing in the doorway. The look on his face was not pleasant, but before she could wonder what had happened, he spoke. “Beth – whose sweater is this?”

It was then that she saw what he had in his hands – the sweater she had uh, borrowed the other night. The one that was so soft and smelled so good, she’d taken a whiff and just had to keep. Not that she ever slept with it cradled in her arms – that would be weird. It meant nothing to her. They were _only_ friends, after all. She wasn’t even sure why she’d kept it…

Mick’s sweater.

“Where did you get that?!” she demanded. She’s always heard the best defense is a good offense.

“At the bottom of your underwear drawer. It’s _his_ , isn’t it?!” Josh demanded.

“What were you doing in my underwear drawer?!” she demanded back.

“This has just gone too far, Beth—“

“I’ll say,” she cut him off. “How long has this been going on?!”

“How long – huh?” Josh asked, confused since it sounded like it should have been _his_ line, not hers…

“How long have you been snooping through my underwear? And what do you do with them? I mean, do you have an underwear fetish or something? Do you, like, _wear_ them?! That’s just so sick!”

“Wait a minute!” he finally got over his shock enough to speak. “I don’t wear them. I mean,” he gestured toward the bedroom. “I was just, it was—“

“I don’t go rifling through your jockey’s, do I? All I ask for is a little privacy; I don’t think that’s too much, do you?”

“Uh, no. I guess… you’re right. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not!” Beth warned. “And to save you further embarrassment, we won’t speak of this ever again.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Beth snatched the sweater from his hands, and stomped into the bedroom. He heard a drawer opening and closing.

Josh scratched his head. “There was just something wrong with that conversation…” he puzzled to himself.

“What was that?” Beth‘s voice challenged from the other room.

“Uh… I’ll go put the movie in the DVD player.”

“Put some popcorn in the microwave too, will ya? I’ll be right out.”

“Okay, honey,” Josh said, deciding he needed some wine too. Maybe after a few drinks he’d figure out when he had lost control of the conversation.

Or maybe he didn’t want to know.

The end of the first part


	2. Wouldn't Smell as Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other side of the “stolen sweater” caper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was a separate sequel, since they're short I combined them into one story here. This part was inspired by a fan called Moonlighter, who wondered if Mick would miss his sweater. Oh, and those who think it’s a good idea to try out Beth’s strategy for themselves might want to pay particular attention…

The excitement was over – till next time. Beth and Audrey were gone, the sun was up and Mick was ready to hit the freezer for the day. He couldn’t rest with the place such a mess though, so he moved around the office, tidying up. The living room was going to take more effort, so he started with the easiest first.

He picked up the file on the desk, just looking at it for long moments. Beth’s file. He should have known she’d snoop when he left her there alone, he knew her insatiable curiosity only too well. Maybe a part of him had _wanted_ her to find it.

Shaking off the thoughts – he didn’t want to think today – he put the file back in its place. He walked out of the room, grabbing for his sweater on the way past the chair. His hand encountered only air, and he did a double take. No sweater.

_I could have sworn I left my sweater right there…_

He looked on the floor, under the desk, thinking it may have fallen, but there was no sign of it in the office anywhere.

That’s weird…

XXX

A week had passed, and Mick’s sweater still hadn’t turned up. It wasn’t in the laundry, or upstairs in his closet. He thought he’d come across it somewhere eventually, but that had never happened. The apartment was neat and orderly again, everything in place – except for his sweater.

“Did you borrow my black sweater?” he asked Josef later that night when the other vamp had come over for a visit.

Josef looked up at him from his place lounging on the chair, glass of blood in hand as usual. For a vampire who supposedly hated bagged blood, he never failed to head straight to Mick’s supply whenever he entered the apartment. “Me? Wear that off-the-rack stuff? You’ve got to be kidding. I wouldn’t be caught undead in those clothes you wear. No offense.”

“That’s really weird… It’s not here anywhere, and I know I left it in the office.” It was quickly becoming a puzzle that obsessed him. Could Sheppard have taken it? No, that didn’t make any sense; the serial killer didn’t break into his place to steal his sweater, and hadn’t been wearing it when he lost his head.

“Did you look in the laundry?” Josef supplied helpfully.

“Yes I looked in the laundry. I’ve been over every inch of this place, it’s not here.”

“If that’s true, then someone must have taken it. What is it that you crime solver types look for again? Something, means and opportunity?”

“Means, motive, and opportunity,” Mick corrected.

“Well okay then, let’s start with the first,” Josef said, sitting forward in his chair. “Who had the means? You can eliminate everybody without arms or hands, and your blind suspects too, since they wouldn’t have seen it.”

“You’re not taking this seriously!” Mick accused his friend.

“Imagine that,” Josef responded dryly.

Snarky though he might have been, Josef’s words reminded Mick to think like a detective. If it wasn’t there someone _must_ have taken it. Who had been in the apartment besides him in between the time he left it on the chair and the time he noticed it missing? He’d already eliminated Sheppard. That left only Beth and Audrey. He could see Audrey possibly getting cold and borrowing it… But she hadn’t been wearing it when she left and he didn’t see her as the sweater stealing type. That only left one person. Beth. She was the only one who had the means and the opportunity. What of the motive though?

_Why would Beth take my sweater?_

XXX

Mick felt a bit uncomfortable, being there in Beth’s apartment when she wasn’t home, sneaking in, but his desire to solve the puzzle was stronger than his conscience. He searched the place quickly, with a P.I.’s skill. A quick once over of the living room didn’t produce anything so he moved cautiously into the bedroom. The closet held only Beth’s clothes… and a few things of Josh’s, he noted sourly. That seemed to toss a bucket of cold reality on him, and he closed the door, intending to leave. How silly was it to think Beth had taken his sweater? It made no sense.

He was on his way out of the room when he passed the dresser and decided to take just one more look. He opened the drawers one by one… When he got to the bottom drawer, he was slightly embarrassed to come across Beth’s underwear…however, he could see a hint of dark peeking out from beneath the frilly undergarments. With sudden suspicion, he reached under and pulled the item out from its hiding place.

His sweater.

Now that he knew the truth, he was relentless in his quest for the rest of it. He brought the garment to his face and inhaled, letting his vamp senses give him a glimpse of the recent past. And reeled back in shock at the startling image that came to him; Beth, holding the sweater close to her, a warm smile on her face. In bed, asleep.

_Beth sleeps with my sweater??_

He didn’t know whether to be amused, thrilled, or disturbed by the discovery.

Mick didn’t have time to decide, because at that moment he heard the key in the lock. He’d been too distracted to notice that Beth had arrived home. He considered slipping quickly out, but decided to hold his ground instead, so he merely stood there leaning against the bedroom doorframe as she let herself in.

Beth looked up to see him standing there, and startled slightly – but only slightly. “Mick! You scared me, what are you doing—“ then her voice abruptly died when her eyes fixed on the sweater in his hands.

“Did you take my sweater?” he asked, already knowing the answer of course, but interested to hear what she’d say.

Beth’s panicky mind cast about for excuses, diversions… “What are you doing sneaking around in my apartment when I’m not home anyway? And snooping through my things, going through my underwear?!” She fell back upon the tried and true offensive.

“You did,” he said, ignoring her words, smiling as he moved further into the room, closer to her. “Why did you steal my sweater?”

_Because it’s yours? Because it makes me feel safe? Because…_

“That’s very stalker-ish you know, and shows a total lack of respect for privacy…”

“I’ve stalked you since you were four, you didn’t seem to have a problem with it until tonight. I’m a private investigator, and I was on the case of a stolen sweater. Now I found the culprit.” Mick grinned, stopping in front of her. “I’d really like to know why you took it. Before I run you downtown and have you arrested for grand theft, sweater.” He knew why of course, he’d seen it, but he was enjoying teasing her too much.

Beth fought a battle between finding his teasing amusing and annoying. She was especially annoyed that what had worked before seemed to be failing her now. “Do you have an underwear fetish?” she said, the accusation sounding lame to her ears. It wasn’t going to work this time.

Mick grinned. “I’ll tell you what,” he said, pushing the sweater into her hands. “You can keep the sweater.” Vampire speed had him to the bedroom and back again before she could blink. “And I’ll keep this,” he said, now holding a pair of her panties. In another blink of an eye, he was gone.

Beth ran to the window and peered out, knowing he’d already vanished. “Mick St. John!” she yelled into the night. Outraged at his nerve… and thrilled at the suggestive flirting.

She left the window and moved back into the apartment, clutching the sweater closer.

The end.

2/11/09


End file.
